Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-LedgerOverall view from the gallery as the senate begins their session at the Statehouse this afternoon.

TRENTON — State lawmakers are set to approve "an outrageous budget" tonight that eliminates more than $260 million in spending that would have protected senior citizens, people with disabilities and working poor families, according to a group of religious, labor, consumer and environmental groups.

Hours before the legislature was expected to vote on the $29.4 billion budget, people representing Better Choices of New Jersey held a Statehouse press conference calling attention to the biggest losers in the upcoming budget year that begins on July 1.

New Jersey Policy Perspective President Deborah Howlett predicted the budget would do "unprecedented damage to the social safety net" and "to the working families, the seniors and disabled.''

The $262.2 million in cuts and reductions include a $45 million achieved by eliminating part of the refund for families who qualify for the state Earned Income Tax Credit. The budget also calls for cutting $30 million by eliminating legal immigrants enrolled in the state-run FamilyCare health insurance program, and $12 million for the Early Intervention program that identifies and provides therapy to developmentally delayed children 3 years old and younger.

"Today's the legislature will vote on an outrageous budget that works for New Jersey's wealthiest instead of its working families,'' said Bill Holland, spokesman for Better Choices for New Jersey, a coalition of 71 community, environmental, labor and religious groups.

"Even worse, this budget fails to live up to its proponent's own states principles. It will raise taxes on middle class and low income families through cuts to the Earned Income Tax Credit, the suspension of property tax rebates, and cuts to school and local aid that help keep property taxes down,'' Holland added.

The budget deal does protect seven programs, restoring $90 million in budget cuts and eliminating new or higher fees. The restored spending items include $40 million to eliminate a first-ever premium and higher co-pays for people enrolled in the Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled program. The deal also preserves $22 million to pay the monthly welfare grants for childless adults.

The $262 million tally by the Better Choice's group doesn't even include the $820 million cut to public schools. David Sciarra, executive director of the Education Law Center in Newark, joined the Statehouse press conference to explain how this budget "turns it back" on a bipartisan funding formula two years ago.

"Every legislator who votes for this budget needs to answer to their public school district as their budget is being cut: why isn't the state putting up the aid that the Legislature has determined is the formula for what our children need?'' Sciarra said.